


And Start Another Day

by geckoholic



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ash Lynx Lives, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-27 11:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17161529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geckoholic/pseuds/geckoholic
Summary: As he waits, Eiji keeps his eyes on the airstrip. It saves him the agony of hoping against hope, every time the automatic door to the waiting area opens, that he's wrong. That his dream might come true. That it might be Ash, and that he's here to leave with Eiji and never look back.





	And Start Another Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wickedcherub](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedcherub/gifts).



> As promised, the other fic I couldn't get in by the deadline. And look, less angst, and a happy ending! 
> 
> Unbeta'd, so all remaining mistakes are most definitely mine.
> 
> Title is from "End Of Night" by Dido.

Eiji isn't as much of a dreamer as some might think. He's optimistic and determined, but he hasn't lost touch with reality. And what's real, in this case, is that the chances of Ash accepting that plane ticket and following him to Japan are slime to none. He doesn't doubt that Ash _wants_ to – again, realism, he's seen the excitement in Ash's eyes as they practiced those first few words of Japanese – but he's too selfless to indulge. Those bullets didn't kill Eiji, nor did they kill Ash. They did, however, renew Ash's conviction that his company will be the death of Eiji eventually. 

As he waits, Eiji keeps his eyes on the airstrip. It saves him the agony of hoping against hope, every time the automatic door to the waiting area opens, that he's wrong. That his dream might come true. That it might be Ash, and that he's here to leave with Eiji and never look back. 

And Ash doesn't walk through those doors. He's dragged through them, half-hanging off Sing's shoulder, starring bloody murder at him the whole time, but as compliant as Eiji has ever seen him. It's a ridiculous sight. Sing is too small to manhandle Ash, and all skill aside he wouldn't be able to if Ash was putting up a real fight. Which he doesn't do. Eiji is a little bit alarmed, suspects drugs, maybe one of Yut Lung's concoctions. He wants to run towards them, pat Ash down for injuries, make sure his mind is clear. But he can't run right now, and Ibe holds fast to the back of his wheelchair. 

“What happened?” he blurts out as soon as they're within hearing distance. 

Sing beams, seeming rather pleased with himself. “I knocked him out and put him into a taxi.” 

Eiji stares from one to the other, wide-eyed. That can't be the whole story. For one, Sing is good, fast and agile, but Ash is better. They both acknowledged that multiple times. There's no debate about it. Secondly, Ash could have turned on his heels the second they arrived at the airport, and he must have walked through the first check-in under his own steam or the airport personal would have called bullshit real quick. Last but not least, upon closer inspection, Sing's glee doesn't seem entirely genuine. They both do look like they were in a fight, though. When he turns and his jacket falls away, Eiji spots s a small cut in Ash's shirt, lined with blood. Not a big injury, a scratch by Ash's standard, but an injury nonetheless. 

He'll ask later, though. Right now, he reaches for Ash's hand, and it'd take an entire army and then some to make him let go ever again. 

 

***

 

Of all the ways Eiji imagined – often feared – his stay in America to end, this is the one he wished for the most. They're a few hours into their flight, it's approaching dawn, and Eiji makes the most out of his window seat by watching the sun rise behind puffy white clouds. Ash is snoring softly next to him, leaning on Eiji as he sleeps, and if it weren't for Ibe on the isle seat, Eiji would be watching Ash instead. He does peek, now and then. Ash looks peaceful and relaxed in his sleep, for once free of brutal nightmares. Eiji isn't so naive to think those won't return; Ash is just napping, he probably isn't dreaming at all. They didn't leave the past in America, gone and forgotten, shed like an old coat. That's not how these things work.

But they'll be safe from here on out. Ash will have a chance to heal. Eiji will be there to help him every step of the way, and be content with whatever boundaries, triggers and limits remain. Also, there's going to be a bunch of red tape, a few headaches about getting him settled in Japan, the works. They'll deal with all that together. The most important thing – the _only_ important thing – is that Ash will stay with him.

Eiji allows himself another glance, and catches Ibe's eyes as the latter looks up from his magazine. He smiles, although it's not free of worries. And Eiji can't hold that against him; Ibe had to worry about him a lot in the past couple of months.

"You two," he says, nodding at Ash's sleeping form. "I still don't know if I should apologize to you about bringing you to New York. Whether it's something I should regret or be glad about."

Eiji lowers his gaze and softly brushes Ash's bangs out of his face. "I'm glad about it, Ibe-san. Please, don't apologize. You brought me along. Everything else was my decision, and I have no regrets."

 

***

 

Eiji isn't quite ready to open his eyes. The bed is warm and much too comfortable, and they don't have much by the way of plans or commitments these days. That will change soon enough – starting next month, Eiji has a job as a photographer for a local magazine, and Ash insists on contributing by running an internet business on the side. Still, they could sleep in for now, but Eiji hears Ash putter around nearby, noticed him get up and walk to the bathroom about twenty minutes ago. Ash is still jet-lagged, still not used to living in another timezone. That will fade; Eiji had the same problem in America for a while.

"I know you're awake," Ash says, sounding restless and a little put out. Eiji bites down on a giggle, remembering all the times he'd have to resort to desperate measures to coax Ash out of bed. "Quit faking and get up."

"Noooooo," Eiji drawls at him, yawning. "I don't want to. You should come back to bed instead."

He doesn't turn yet but hears Ash sigh, and also hears him pad over like Eiji asked. Ash lies down and stretches out languidly, elbowing Eiji in the side, and Eiji can practically feel Ash's expectant stare bore into his back, like a cat, demanding attention in exchange for its occasional obedience. Eiji chooses to ignore his sleep-deprived fool mood and grabs for him instead, pulls at him until Ash is close enough to touch. Then he finally rolls over, squirms around until he ends up pressed against Ash's side.

Ash sighs again. "You're like an octopus," he complains, at the same time as lifting his arm so Eiji can get comfortable. "And so clingy."

"Hmmm," Eiji makes, grinning. He works a hand underneath Ash's shirt, pushing it up so that it unveils Ash's flat stomach, framed by sharp hipbones, a thin trail of blonde hair peeking out over the edge of his boxer briefs. The scar there is barely visible anymore; it was indeed only little more than a scratch, thanks to Sing's intervention. It could have been worse, it could have been... Eiji shakes the thought off, decides instead to focus on the fact that Ash allows the touch, closes his eyes, calm and trusting. Eii watches him closely for any sign of another reaction below the surface, ready to smooth the fabric back down if Ash gives the slightest hint of being uncomfortable. He has a lot of tells around these things, subtle and nonverbal, an entire language of his own. It's a slow process for them both, letting Eiji learn all the nuances, but they're working on it. And right now, his serenity seems genuine. Plus, bare skin aside, Eiji doesn't have impure intentions. He settles back into Ash's embrace and then uses his fingers to draw the lines of a kanji on Ash's skin. 

A high stroke, a horizontal line, a long vertical one...

It doesn't take long for Ash to notice what he's doing and crane his head to look. "What are you writing?"

Two more horizontal lines, varying in length, the last closing the horizontal one and finishing the kanji. "It means life. Living. Being alive."

Because they're both alive, despite the odds. It's a gift, Eiji knows, not to be taken for granted. Death lunged for both of them quite a few times, most often for Ash, and somewhere deep inside Eiji is convinced they made a narrow escape. It's all the more reason to hold on now, keep Ash close and take care of him as much as he allows. The letter Eiji wrote for him still sits in a drawer in their small study, unopened. No reason to read it now that they left New York together, Ash said. Eiji didn't press for it, embarrassed at the thought of Ash reading those words in front of him. But they're still there in his heart, and one day he'll work up the courage to say them out loud. Make them a vow. He'll keep the promises within them, either way, every single day. He'll protect Ash in his own way – protect him from fate, and do his best to protect him from the long shadows of all that he's been through. 

"You're getting maudlin again," Ash says. He scratches at his stomach, where Eiji had been drawing, as if self-conscious or embarrassed, and threads their fingers together like he's trying to keep Eiji from making another kanji, from pouring another emotion onto his skin. He nudges Eiji and nods his head towards the front door. "Come on. Change of scenery."

Eiji lets himself be maneuvered into a sitting position, and laughs when Ash tries to haul him to a stand with both hands. He bats Ash's hands away and gets up on his own, reaching for pants and a t-shirt from the chair by the bed without having to be told. He's awake now, anyway, and he enjoys showing Ash every corner of his hometown. It's not New York, but it too has its secret and small treasures, and Eiji will share them all with Ash. 

They dress in silence. Ash is done first and waits by the door, his hand outstretched. Eiji takes it and interlaces their fingers once more. Together, they step out into a bright new day.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://lostemotion.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/spacenerdz).


End file.
